Held v. Hot Properties! Merchandising, Inc.

The parties involved in the case Held v. Best Buy Co., Inc., et al. executed a Consent Judgment on September 9, 2015.  In this matter, citizen enforcer Anthony E. Held, Ph.D., P.E. alleged that Hot Properties! Merchandising, Inc. (“Hot Properties”) sold vinyl/PVC I.D. cards and charms containing the phthalate chemical di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (“DEHP”) in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.  

As part of the agreement, Hot Properties agreed not to sell any vinyl/PVC I.D. cards and charms in California after October 15, 2015, unless the hearing protection or aprons contain no more than 1,000 parts per million of DEHP when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies.

The Consent Judgment required settlement payments of $27,100, divided therein between civil penalties, 75% of which are paid to California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and compensation to whistleblower Held and his counsel for their successful enforcement of this matter in the public interest.